Method and Apparatus for Initiating a High-Power Connection via a Low-Power Interface

1. A device comprising: a processor; a low-power network interface circuit; and a high-power network interface circuit; wherein the low-power network interface circuit is configured to: receive, while the high-power network interface circuit is in a dormant state, a service advertisement from a remote device; determine, based at least in part on the service advertisement, whether to establish a network connection with the remote device via the high-power network interface circuit; and in response to a determination that a network connection is to be established with the remote device via the high-power network interface circuit, wake the high-power network interface circuit and connect to the remote device via the high-power network interface circuit; wherein the service advertisement discloses one or more services provided by a high-power network interface circuit of the remote device.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the low-power network interface circuit is further configured to transmit a request to the remote device regarding a service disclosed in the service advertisement.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein a subsequent service advertisement discloses one or more services provided by another high-power network interface circuit of the remote device.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the low-power network interface circuit is further configured to: receive a response from the remote device that specifies a broadcast time of a modified service advertisement; receive the modified service advertisement from the remote device at the broadcast time, wherein the modified service advertisement discloses details of the service provided by the high-power network interface circuit of the remote device; transmit another request to the remote device to connect to the remote device via the high-power network interface circuit of the device and the high-power network interface circuit of the remote device; and receive another response from the remote device that confirms the requested connection.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the low-power network interface circuit is further configured to: broadcast an advertisement to the remote device, the advertisement disclosing information about the service; receive a request associated with the broadcasted advertisement from the remote device; and transmit a response to the remote device comprising information about the high power network interface circuit of the device.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the request is extended to accommodate a disclosure of an interest of the device in the service, thereby causing the remote device to send a response to the device that further describes the service after receiving the extended request.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein: the request comprises a connection request to establish a connection with the remote device via the low-power network interface circuit; and subsequent communications over the connection comprise one or more data frames exchanged between the device and the remote device, wherein: data frames transmitted from the device to the remote device comprise requests for information associated with services provided by the remote device; and data frames transmitted from the remote device to the device comprise the requested information.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the connection request and the one or more data frames are exchanged while the processor is in a dormant state.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the service advertisement from the remote device discloses multiple services provided by multiple high-power network interface circuits of the remote device.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein prior to receiving the service advertisement from the remote device, the low-power network interface circuit is further configured to: copy configuration information associated with the high-power network interface circuit into a component of the low-power network interface circuit; and suspend the processor.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein prior to connecting to the remote device via the high-power network interface circuit, the low-power network interface circuit is further configured to send the configuration information to the remote device, thereby enabling the device and the remote device to connect via the high-power network interface circuit after the high-power network interface circuit and the processor are awakened, without sending the configuration information via the first high-power network interface circuit.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, via a low-power network interface of a device, while one or more high-power network interfaces of the device are in a dormant state, a service advertisement from a remote device; determining, based at least in part on the service advertisement, whether to establish a network connection with the remote device via a high-power network interface of the device; and in response to determining that a network connection is to be established with the remote device via the high-power network interface, waking a high-power network interface of the device and connecting to the remote device via the high-power network interface of the device; wherein the service advertisement discloses one or more services provided by a high-power network interface of the remote device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising: transmitting a request to the remote device regarding a service disclosed in the service advertisement.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein a subsequent service advertisement discloses one or more services provided by another high-power network interface of the remote device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises: receiving a response from the remote device that specifies a broadcast time of a modified service advertisement; receiving the modified service advertisement from the remote device at the broadcast time, wherein the modified service advertisement discloses details of the service provided by the high-power network interface of the remote device; transmitting another request to the remote device to connect to the remote device via the high-power network interfaces of the device and the remote device; and receiving another response from the device that confirms the requested connection.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the service advertisement from the remote device discloses multiple services provided by multiple high-power network interfaces of the remote device, including the one or more services of the high-power network interface of the remote device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the request is extended to accommodate a disclosure of an interest of the device in the service, thereby causing the remote device to send a response to the device that further describes the service after receiving the extended request.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein: the request comprises a connection request that establishes a connection with the remote device via the low-power network interface; and subsequent communications over the connection comprise one or more data frames exchanged between the device and the remote device, wherein: data frames sent from the device to the remote device comprise requests for information associated with services provided by the remote device; and data frames transmitted from the remote device to the device comprise the requested information.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein prior to communicating with the remote device via the low-power network interface of the device, the method further comprises: copying configuration information associated with the high-power network interface into a component of the low-power network interface; and suspending a processor of the device.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 , wherein prior to connecting to the remote device via the high-power network interface, the method further comprises: transmitting the configuration information to the remote device, thereby enabling the device and the remote device to connect via the high-power network interface after the high-power network interface and the processor are awakened, without transmitting the configuration information via the high-power network interface.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the high-power network interface of the device is one of the following: a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) interface; a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) interface; and an infrastructure-based wireless local area (WLAN) interface.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the low-power network interface of the device is a Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) interface.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving, via a low-power network interface of a device, while one or more high-power network interfaces of the device are in a dormant state, a service advertisement from a remote device; determining, based at least in part on the service advertisement, whether to establish a network connection with the remote device via a high-power network interface of the device; and in response to determining that a network connection is to be established with the remote device via the high-power network interface, waking a high-power network interface of the device and connecting to the remote device via the high-power network interface of the device; wherein the service advertisement discloses one or more services provided by a high-power network interface of the remote device.